Boris Johnson spent the night in hospital for what Downing Street said was a precautionary measure.

He has been self-isolating and running government from 11 Downing Street but had to extend how long he quarantined himself after his symptoms persisted for more than a week.

“The prime minister thanks NHS staff for all of their incredible hard work and urges the public to continue to follow the Government’s advice to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives,” Downing Street said in a statement.

“Together we are tackling this disease, and I want to reassure you that if we remain united and resolute, then we will overcome it,” she told audiences in Sunday evening’s broadcast.

“We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return. We will be with our friends again, we will be with our families again, we will meet again.”

That kind of special televised broadcast has only happened three times before – when the Queen Mother died in 2002, ahead of Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997 and about the First Gulf War in 1991.

Yesterday, Matt Hancock said people who have been flouting the lockdown rules – implemented to slow the spread of the coronavirus and prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed with new cases – needed to change their behaviour.

He warned of stricter measures if they continued to go against legislation and government advice.

“The more people follow the rules then the faster we will all be through this,” he said, also telling the BBC that he did not want to be forced to ban outdoor exercise.